This isn't a magic number or even a mathematical clinch considering other teams' games against each other... but according to sportsclubstats' thousands of simulations, the Pens could lose every remaining game in regulation and still have less than a 0.1% chance of missing the playoffs now that they won this afternoon.

Next ROW clinches tiebreaks on NJ and NYI; they both play tonight, so the Pens will secure a ROW tiebreak on one of them tonight, both if it goes to a shootout. (They both are max 26 ROWs, Pens current total. Pens control head to head on NYI, not so much on NJ right now)

Effective division lead now 17 points with the Devils losing their game in hand. As noted above, Islanders can only tie the Pens current ROW total, and Pens hold the head to head on them, so it could be argued that the MN for a playoff spot may actually be 5. Winnipeg fell to max 60 points, tied with Washington in that regard.